Oarlock



July 28, 1936.

S. N. WEEKS OARLOCK Filed Dec. 17, 1934 V JWW (/2027 /Z 9 Patented July 28, 1936 UNHTED STAB-S oer 2 Claims.

The present invention has for its general objectives an oar lock which is of sturdy construction and made up of but few parts; which truly locks the car in the sense that slippage or loss of the car during rowing is prevented; which permits of ready assembly with the car handle and with oar handles of somewhat variant diameters;

' and which permits the oarsman to manipulate the oar with ease and with the desired universal movement, that is, with combined forward and backward and upward and downward movements.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the present invention will now be described in detail with particular reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an oar lock embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 illustrates in perspective the lock installed on a row boat.

As shown in Figure 1, the lock comprises a yoke I serving as a mounting or bracket for a ring structure II wherein the car handle is designed to be received and which is adapted to be locked tightly to the handle. The yoke includes the arms Illa and Illb projecting from a stud Illc which is free to turn in a bushing or sleeve 9 through which it passes. The bushing 9 projects downwardly from a base plate 8 adapted to be secured to the gunwale I of a boat, as shown in Figure 5. The bushing 9 may enter downwardly through and out of a suitable opening formed in the gunwale, the lower end portion of the stud Illc projecting beyond the lower end of the bushing and preferably being provided with an aperture 6 through which a ring or equivalent element may be inserted for the purpose of keeping the yoke fast to the plate while permitting turning movement of the yoke and, accordingly, forward and backward movement of an car.

The ring structure II has pins I2 and I3 projecting outwardly on opposite sides substantially midway thereof. One of the pins I2 is pivotally received in a recess M in the arm Illa of the yoke; and the other pin I3 is pivotally received in the lower end portion of a vertical groove I5 in the arm Illb of the yoke. The groove I5 extends and progressively increases in depth from the upper end to an intermediate point of the arm IOb, the recess M in the arm Illa being substantially opposite to the base or ledge Pic of the groove I5 on which the pin I3 rests. The pins I2 and I3 of the ring structure are thus received in the arms of the yoke so as to permit rocking movement thereof and, accordingly, up- 5 and-down movement of an car while at the same time permitting ready demounting of the ring structure from the yoke. Thus, the pin 13 is capable of being moved or withdrawn upwardly through the groove I5 and out of its upper end while withdrawal of the pin 02 from the recess I4 is simultaneously being effected so as to effect complete disassembly of the ring structure from the yoke. Normally, however, an upwardmovement of the pin i3 is prevented by a suitable re- 15 movable stop element, for instance, a screw I6 threaded through the arm Ifib with its shank slightly clearing above the pin 53 and its head II, shown knurled, outwardly of the arm. When the ring structure is disassembled from the yoke, it may be readily locked to an oar handle, although, of course, it may be so locked in place even while mounted on the yoke. The ring structure includes a substantially central upper arcuate locking piece I8 of an internal curvature preferably corresponding substantially to the internal curvature of the rest of the ring structure. The ring structure additionally includes an upper enlarged or boss portion I9 recessed at 20 to receive therein the locking piece I8. A screw 2I is shown threaded through the upper ring portion I9 and having an unthreaded lower end portion 2Ia to which the locking piece I8 is rotatably secured. Thus, as appears best in Figure 1, the unthreaded portion 2Ia of the screw 2| passes through the piece i8 and is equipped with an end flange 2Ib free to glide over a locally countersunk lower surface 22 in such piece, such flange preventing disengagement of the screw 2I from such piece as turning movement of the screw causes upward or downward movement of such piece. The upper or head end portion of the screw 2I projects beyond the upper ring portion I9 and is shown with a knurled head 23. The recess 20 is preferably of such depth that when the piece I8 is fully retracted within the recess, the internal surface of such piece constitutes essentially a continuation of the internal surface of the rest of the ring structure.

In order to prevent undesirable turning movement or dislocation of the piece I8 as it is being moved vertically by turning of the screw 2|, the side walls of the recess 26 are preferably provided with vertical ribs 24 fitting into complemental grooves or ways 25 in the side walls of the locking piece l8, such piece thus being free to undergo vertical translation while at the same time being held against rotation.

An advantage of the car look of the present invention is adapted for use with oars having handles of somewhat variant diameters, since the locking piece I8 is capable of being clamped tightly onto oar handles of a diameter materially smaller than the internal diameter of the ring structure even though the ring structure is designed primarily to receive oar handles of a diameter only slightly less than its internal diameter. The ring structure is so easily demountable from the yoke that upon finishing rowing, the oarsman can quickly demount the ring structure while locked to the oar handle from the yoke and place the same in the boat.

I claim:

1. In an oar lock, the combination with a yoke and a base in which said yoke is free to turn and thus to permit forward and backward movement of an oar, of a ring structure adapted to be locked to an oar handle and demountably and rockably secured to said yoke with rockability permitting up-and-down movement of an oar, said ring structure including an upper arcuate locking piece of an internal curvature corresponding substantially to the internal curvature of the rest of the ring structure, an upper ring portion recessed to receive therein said locking piece, and a screw threaded through said upper ring portion and having an unthreaded lower end portion to which said locking piece is rotatably secured, said screw being rotatable to cause vertical and inward movement of said locking piece and to clamp it onto the handle of an oar inserted through said ring structure, the side walls of said recessed upper ring portion being 40 equipped with vertical ribs fitting into complemental recesses in said locking piece to prevent turning movement of said locking piece while said locking piece is being moved vertically.

2. In an oar lock, the combination with a yoke at least one arm of which contains a groove extending and progressively increasing in depth from an upper end to an intermediate point thereof and the other arm of which contains a recess opposite to the base of said groove, and a base in which said yoke is free to turn and thus to permit forward and backward movement of an oar, of a ring structure adapted to be locked to an oar handle and demountably secured to said yoke, said ring structure including pins projecting from opposite sides thereof, one of said pins being pivotally received in said grooved arm at the base of said groove and the other being pivotally received in the recess of said recessed arm so as to permit rocking movement of said ring structure and up-and-down movement of an oar, said pin received in said grooved arm being capable of being moved upwardly through said groove and out of its upper end while withdrawal of the pin from said recessed arm is being efiected; said ring structure further including an up- 2 per arcuate locking piece of an internal curvature substantially corresponding to the internal curvature of the rest of the ring structure, an upper ring portion recessed to receive therein said looking piece, and a screw threaded through said upper ring portion and having an unthreaded lower end portion to which said locking piece is rotatably secured, said screw being rotatable to cause vertical and inward movement of said looking piece and to clamp it onto the handle of an oar inserted through said ring structure; and a removable stop element normally preventing an upward movement of the pin in said grooved arm.

SCO'I'I N. WEEKS. 5s

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